MODERN FORMS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS SOLVING (ON THE EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL BUSINESS)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to justify social business as a modern form of solving social problems. It is noted that social business arises in the sphere of providing social services. Attention is focused on the very nature of the participation of social businessmen who, through their own activity, satisfy a socially significant demand for certain segments of the population, that is, capable of solving social problems of certain population groups or individuals. It is justified that the idea of modern social business is considered through the historical milestones of its evolution. It is noted that in different periods of society's evolution, the social problems themselves changed, as did their depth for different social groups. The main periods of origin, development and active spread of social business are considered. It is noted that at the first stage, the activities of charitable, volunteer and public organizations in their modern sense were born and gradually spread. Such activities were implemented at the expense of collecting membership fees from citizens or donations from various categories of the population in order to solve a specific social problem. It was determined that the next stage in the development of social business began at the end of the 20th century as a result of the creation of the first social enterprises. It is during this period that the concept of "social business" begins to be used, which takes on the characteristics of a socio-economic phenomenon and is the subject of independent research by scientists. Thus, analyzing the given historical milestones in the development of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship, two approaches to solving social problems that have arisen in society are highlighted: financial and institutional. It was concluded that the form of solving a social problem should be defined as a method by which a particular type of social problem is mitigated/solved, i.e. providing social services and carrying out social work aimed at supporting the most socially vulnerable categories and persons who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. It is noted that it is appropriate to include social assistance, social protection, and corporate social responsibility of business as a financial form of solving a social problem. Due to the implementation of these forms of solving social problems, societal, group and individual social problems are solved. It is substantiated that under the institutional approach, the solution of social problems is the main type of activity of the relevant business entity and is carried out systematically. In this way, social business acquires such an institutional form that is able to more flexibly contribute to the solution of social problems, that is, social enterprises are formed. The article emphasizes that a social problem is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that includes many components. General trends in solving social problems in specific countries are concentrated in the principles of social policy formed in it. In addition, social business is essentially an organic component of the social protection system, and therefore an element of the country's social policy. It was concluded that the main differences between the social responsibility of business and social entrepreneurship in solving social problems of society lie in their differences in the very form of solving social problems. For a social business, profit is ensured by solving social problems, which is again reinvested in projects to solve social problems.